Is this feed ok for 18yo with laminitis?

[Joanne4584]

Hiya. I posted a few days ago about my horse getting laminitis for the first time last week, aged 18. He's now in a small paddock with not much grass. He is in light work - just 2 hacks a week (walk and trot). He used to be a good doer (a barrel with legs in fact!) but over the last couple of years he has lost weight quite easily.

He has been on Speedibeet, Hi Fi and Senior Mix, with some Cortaflex. Are these still ok now he's had laminitis? And how much do I give him? I Dont want to over feed but I Dont want him to lose weight. X x

 

[be positive]

Speedibeet is fine but the HiFi will have molasses which is not good and any mix should be removed from his diet as it will have molasses and cereals in that will not be suitable.

To maintain his weight safely give plenty of well soaked hay, with either speedibeet or fast fibre which could have unmolassed chaff added if you feel the need, all feeds should have no molasses in and be as cereal free as possible, keeping his diet fibre based should be safe and you can feed plenty to keep weight on. You can add oil or linseed to give a bit more energy and they are fairly safe to use.

Have you tested for Cushings, laminitis and the weight loss could be a sign of something going on with his metabolism.

 

[Joanne4584]

I havent yet,Im going to contact my vet next week. Thanks for your help

 

[Rhee]

Joeanne, i'm joining you as I read your original post and be positive also replied to mine regarding feeding various hedgrow plants.
I was worried about sugar levels.

Rhee is 2 weeks tomorrow since she started laminitis with a vengence in all four feet.

Shes never been stabled in her 13 years except a boxrest stint 4 years ago due to a severe leg injury. Only has a bucket feed in deepest winter and this winter we had enough grass to need no hay either.
Therefore, my feeling was that as she's not interested in hay or chaff type feed, she actually has no taste for it and have taken the choice of feeding copious amounts of nettles, gorse chlivers and anything else she will eat, plus speedibeet.

She is in a very small field enclosure which is almost bare and actually is not trying to graze it at all.

As no laminitis history vet also suggested EMS , all four of ours are on the same paddock and none of the others have any laminitis symptoms. So EMS might be something worth investigating further.

But the point I am trying to get to is that if this is the case with Rhee maybe our pasture is not providing what she needs now if it is EMS (it is old established meadow and never had chemical fertiliser but we only bought it early last winter so this is their first spring on it)

After 4 days of all the green stuff she really seems to have improved over last night.
It might be that she was about to improve anyway, OR the herbal nutrients are now in her system and doing their stuff.

We might never know but I certainly like the idea of natural remedies. I'm lucky enough to have a mile long track with allsorts growing either side- its hard work picking but if it does the job it's worth it.

I hope this is a one off for you, Joeanne, our 24 year old has always put lots of weight on but hasn't this year and to be honest is probably looking the best she ever has done for this time of the year - again is it her age or is it the new pasture which suits her better.

There's always something to worry about.

All the best,
E

 

[Joanne4584]

Thank you for the advice I realised I'd posted this totally forgetting that last week my vet said he looked at an ideal weight and was looking in great condition. Maybe I'm not used to having a "normal" weight horse

I thought the Sixteen Plus might have been ok cause it says
"High fibre, high oil, low sugar and starch; therefore suitable for Cushingoids".

 

[Carlosmum]

My 16 YO lammi gelding has plenty of soaked hay, a handful of Dengie Sugar free, speedibeet & pink powder. He is in ideal condition & light work. He also gets 4 -5 hrs turnout on poor grass with a muzzle.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

If the vet has diagnosed Lami then he shouldn't be ridden/worked until all the symptoms have gone and he has been consistently sound. Some schools of thought would suggest this could be several months depending on severity.

He needs to be off grass completely and fed soaked and rinsed hay, soaked and rinsed speedibeet and any vits/mins needed. If a stable is not available then either put down sand in a sectioned off area or an area that has no grass at all.

As be positive has mentioned you need to check all compound feeds - laminitis approved feeds are normally seen as suitable for horses in 'remission' rather than a horse that is currently suffering.

I would look to this website - even if your horse is not insulin resistant or showing signs of EMS, it won't do any harm.

http://ecirhorse.org/index.php/ddt-overview/ddt-diet

I would also suggest you seek the advice of the vet sooner than later. I would be very surprised that if your horse was bad enough for lami to be diagnosed by a vet that it is a case he has 'had' it, I would suggest he is still suffering from it and will still need to be treated. Cushings can cause weight loss, and if it is this the pergolide will help stabilise your horses hormones to be able to deal with the threat of further lami attacks.

 

[Joanne4584]

If the vet has diagnosed Lami then he shouldn't be ridden/worked until all the symptoms have gone and he has been consistently sound. Some schools of thought would suggest this could be several months depending on severity.

He needs to be off grass completely and fed soaked and rinsed hay, soaked and rinsed speedibeet and any vits/mins needed. If a stable is not available then either put down sand in a sectioned off area or an area that has no grass at all.

As be positive has mentioned you need to check all compound feeds - laminitis approved feeds are normally seen as suitable for horses in 'remission' rather than a horse that is currently suffering.

I would look to this website - even if your horse is not insulin resistant or showing signs of EMS, it won't do any harm.

http://ecirhorse.org/index.php/ddt-overview/ddt-diet

I would also suggest you seek the advice of the vet sooner than later. I would be very surprised that if your horse was bad enough for lami to be diagnosed by a vet that it is a case he has 'had' it, I would suggest he is still suffering from it and will still need to be treated. Cushings can cause weight loss, and if it is this the pergolide will help stabilise your horses hormones to be able to deal with the threat of further lami attacks.

Two days after he was crippled, he was walking fine. My vet came back out a week after the attack, and Bertie was sound. I was told I could put him back out but limit his grazing. He was trotting and cantering round the field and looked amazing! I am so confused When he is in his stable he is getting soaked hay. He is getting his blood taken tomorrow to test for Cushings xx